Shadows of Humanity
by phosphorylase
Summary: Fate. Some say it is inescapable. Others say it can be changed. After spending years running from it, Hikari realizes that her fate is catching up to her, and with nowhere else to turn, she has no choice but to face it head on. SYOC


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Pokémon

* * *

 **I.**

 **\- Heading to Nowhere -**

* * *

 _Run._

Thunder bellowed and lightning streaked across a monochrome sky, illuminating the folds between bleak clouds. Rain drenched the earth below, drowning out all sounds in a discordant orchestra, and yet, despite this, she could hear the sound of booming footsteps and hoarse shrieks.

Her feet sank into muddied puddles, formed by the downpour and reinforced by the environment, a marshland surrounded by towering trees. Her heartbeat pounded like drums in her ears, her legs ached and screamed for relief, and her legs rasped to take in air, her breaths heavy and erratic. Despite everything— the pain, the confusion, the _fear_ — she did not stop. She couldn't.

"Get her!" a voice yelled above the storm. The girl looked over her shoulder for just a moment before looking back in front of her. She clutched something closer to her, shading it from the rain underneath her cloak, which was already drenched by the rain.

"It's okay," she wheezed between desperate breaths. "It's okay, Houndour. We'll be okay."

This was something she uttered more to herself than to the creature she cradled in her arms. She needed a reminder, _something_ to help her feel more secure in spite of her terror. She had no idea where she was going; everywhere was dark, the path in front of her only occasionally lit up by the lightning flashes above. She was essentially running blind. Her mind tried to etch the path irradiated by the lightning into her memory. She whispered to herself to keep running. She kept telling herself why she couldn't afford to stop.

Suddenly, the ground quaked underneath her, throwing her off her feet and into the mud below. Houndour flew from her arms and landed a few feet away from her. The girl coughed as she slowly got to her hands and knees, her entire body searing with pain.

"Houndour!" she shouted. Somehow, she was able to hear its quiet whimpers. And then there was a guttural growl. Thunder rumbled. Lightning flashed. She looked up, and she saw a massive being looming over her, its thick hands clenched into fists, the darkness of its eyes and bamboo stalk hanging from its fangs only adding to the intimidation.

"Pangoro!" a voice barked. "Hammer Arm!"

 _This is the end._

She couldn't move suddenly. It was as if every fiber in the girls' body turned to stone. Her breathing quickened. Her eyes widened. She trembled violently. Watching as the Pangoro lifted its arm into the air, its appendage glowing a bright, almost blinding shade of blue, the girl was convinced, surely, that in this moment, she was going to die.

A harsh snarling sound caught her attention. She snapped her head to the right and saw the shadow of a bipedal streak across her vision and latch onto Pangoro, sinking its powerful jaws into the dark and fighting type's arm. Pangoro let out a loud cry of pain and flailed its arm in an attempt to get Houndour off of it.

"Houndour!" the girl shouted, her throat sore. "Come!"

With a final swing of its arm, Pangoro threw Houndour to the ground, but the dog-like pokémon landed on its feet, skidding across the mud. The girl scrambled to her feet and lunged ahead. She scooped Houndour into her arms and continued running, looking back to see Pangoro whirl around to face her, growling menacingly.

" _I have to hide—"_ She thought. Tears pricked at her eyes. " _I have to lose them!"_

She heard more yelling. More shouts. Their footsteps felt like they shook the very earth beneath them. And the rain kept falling, and the thunder kept roaring, and everything was too much, too scary, but—

" _I have to keep going."_

It was what sounded like whistling that made her stop for just a second and turn around. As soon as she did, trying to see where the origin of that sound came from, she was abruptly thrown to the ground again, rolling over herself, but making sure Houndour wasn't injured. She landed with half her body in the mud. The girl gasped sharply and looked down, seeing Houndour look back up at her with fearful eyes.

"I'm sorry—" she choked out. She glanced up as the lightning struck again, this time, showing her a scene that struck pure fear into her rapidly beating heart. A horde of people and pokémon all stood just mere feet away from her, all of them looking down at her with menacing gazes. A Toxicroak croaked darkly and wiped a trail of sludge dribbling from its mouth with the back of its hand.

"Enough."

A man stepped forward. Though he was hidden in the shadows of the swamp, the girl could still make out his silhouette, having memorized his entire being. He held out his hand and smiled a wicked, toothy grin.

"Come back to us," he said. "Young one."

"No…"

The girl scrambled back. Her stomach churned and twisted and knotted.

"I said—"

" _NO!_ "

Houndour wriggled out of the folds of her cloak and jumped in front of her, lowering the front of its body to appear as threatening as possible. It opened its mouth and exhaled a cloud of thick, dark green smoke. The man coughed upon inhaling it, and waved his hand in an attempt to dispel it, but the cloud proved to be too thick.

"I'm sick of your games, you stupid child!" the man yapped. "If you don't come back with us—!"

"Houndour."

The girl tightly clutched the blades of grass drowning in the deluge.

"Light them up."

Houndour released a mighty howl. Then, with sparks igniting between its teeth, it spit out a ball of flames into the cloud. The girl stood up and slowly lifted Houndour into her arms and watched as the cloud slowly lit up, pulsating orange that reflected against the green.

For a moment, everything felt like it was in slow motion. The sound of the thunderstorm had been drowned out, and was instead replaced with the sound of crackling and sparking. The cloud lit up more and more, unleashing bursts of heat that almost overwhelmed the chilly rain. The girl took a few small steps back and watched as the cloud, in just the blink of an eye, ignited into a fiery blaze, as if defying the rain itself. She could hear the men screaming. She could see the shadows of their pokémon scurrying away. As smoke rose into the air as proof of what was occurring, the girl looked up at the dreary sky. And she breathed.

She turned on her heel, Houndour in her arms, and she ran.

* * *

"Current temperature is fifteen degrees Celsius. Time now is… 9:27 in the morning. It is currently Saturday, August twenty seventh… and I am here between Lumiose City and Laverre Swamp."

A man sighed deeply as he pressed the button on a recording device. He looked it over for a moment before stuffing it into his pocket. He readjusted the bag straps sitting idly on his shoulders and continued down an unpaved path.

The trees surrounding the path had fronds of alternating colors of red, gold, and brown, which turned the path the same color as a blanket of leaves decorated it like a carpet. The rising sun's rays flickered against the trees, adding a certain glint to them, giving the entire area an ambrosial type of beauty.

The man stepped forward and ran his hand through his black threads. A soft, crisp breeze blew, and he took in a deep breath, allowing the air to circulate throughout his body and invigorate him. With this, he took a few steps forward, but immediately stopped when he heard a small noise.

It was faint at first, so much so that he began to doubt that he heard it at all, especially when he tried to listen for it again and there was nothing. But before he even moved a muscle, the noise entered his ears a second time.

The man walked forward as he continued to listen to the sound. He cupped his hands over his ears and tried to pick up on the whimpering. He heard it again, this time louder, and he swiftly burst into a dash in an attempt to look for where it was coming from.

" _Sounds like a pokémon,"_ he thought, running into the forest, hopping over upturned roots and dodging large rocks. He kept hearing the sound, and the more he ran, the louder and clearer it became, which could only mean he was close.

When he pushed some bushes to the side, he came upon the swamp area of the forest, and his skin paled when he saw a black dog-like pokémon standing beside a girl lying in the murky waters. It was letting out a series of concerned whimpers, and as soon as it looked up and saw the man, it got into a defensive position, nostrils flaring and flames spewing from its mouth.

"W-Wait!" the man quickly said and held his arms in front of him. "I'm not here to hurt you!"

Houndour's flames only became more intense. Knowing this, the man slipped off his bag and unzipped it. He rummaged through it and fished out a small can, shaking it, the contents echoing against the can.

"It's okay," the man muttered. As slowly as he could, he crouched down and opened the can. He poured some of the food into his palm and extended his hand. Houndour snorted, expelling a small cloud of smoke. The flames died down, but it still kept a careful, watchful eye on the man. He smiled tenderly and moved towards the Houndour, and held his palm full of food in front of it. As if debating whether or not to trust him, eventually, Houndour conceded and lapped some of the food from his palm.

With another quick smile, the man's dark eyes shifted to the girl. He reached out to her, but quickly retracted his hand when Honudour snarled and snapped at him.

"I'm sorry! But if you want me to help her, you have to trust me," the man said. Seeing the conflicted look in the pokémon's eyes, the man sighed quietly.

"I don't know what happened, but I can get the both of you help." He looked at Houndour. "You were calling for someone. Let me be that someone."

There was a stirring from the girl, but her eyes didn't open. Houndour gently nudged her with her snout, but when she didn't wake up, it whined and looked back at the man. Seeing the smile on his face and the shimmering of the man's eyes, it was as if Houndour just knew. That, somehow, this man was not like the others.

"My name is Kenji," he said, holding out his hand. "Will you let me help you, Houndour?"

Without a moment of hesitation, Houndour stepped forward and pressed its forehead into Kenji's palm.

* * *

"The flowers look nice."

A small series of pots sat in front of a window cracked open, letting in a breeze and a little bit of sunlight. Within the pots were several flowers all blooming, stretching their leaves and petals into the air. The variety of colors— ranging from pink to yellow to white— added a bit of life into the space. Azaleas, day lilies, daffodils, petunias, amongst others, all showcased their vibrant colors.

"Thanks."

The girl sitting in front of them sighed quietly. She looked at them for a bit longer before moving away from them.

"Hikari?"

She stopped at the sound of her name being called and turned to the man who uttered it in the first place.

"Let's talk," he said. Something about those two small, insignificant words, instilled such trepidation within her. It didn't help that the man was such an imposing figure. He stood at six foot three, sporting tanned skin and short cropped black hair. He had a neatly trimmed beard, and his dark brown eyes had showing signs of bags, yet, held a familiar shine behind them.

"O-Okay," Hikari muttered with a quick nod. Clutching her arm out of anxiety, Hikari followed the man into an area that resembled a living room, featuring a couch, futon, coffee table, and television. They both took a seat on the couch, with Hikari crossing her legs, and the man leaning his elbow against the head of the couch.

"It's nothing bad. You don't have to be scared," he reassured. Hikari swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

"Okay."

"I think you should come to my school, Hikari."

The lump came back. Hikari inhaled and slowly, shakily, exhaled, as if her lungs themselves were trembling. Noticing her quivering, the man took her hand and smiled softly.

"I know it's scary, but I think it will be good for you."

"Dad, I—"

"I want you to at least try."

Hikari stood up from her place on the couch and shook her head.

"I-I don't know…" she whispered.

"You're entering high school now. Maybe it'll help you make some friends. You know it's a boarding school, right? You'll be in dorms—" the man continued. Hikari clenched her fists. "It's full of good people, really."

"But… you guys battle a lot, too, right?" Hikari asked. "Your whole deal is bringing up top trainers… right?"

The man nodded. "You're strong, Hikari."

"I—"

"And I'll be able to keep an eye on you, too. You don't have to be afraid."

He stood up as well, and slowly walked over to her. Gently, he placed his hands on Hikari's shoulders, and gave them a reassuring squeeze. Hikari bit her lip in contemplation. She looked everywhere but her father's eyes— the floor, her feet, the flowers, everything in between, but for some reason, she just couldn't meet his eyes.

"I don't want to let you down, but—" She paused. "I'm… I'm scared."

"You won't let me down if you don't go. And it's okay to be scared. I just think that this will be a good opportunity for you."

"A good opportunity…" Hikari parroted.

"If you don't want to—"

She squeezed her eyes shut.

" _I don't have to keep running."_

She repeated this to herself in her head over and over again, like a mantra. The rain poured and the thunder boomed and the sight of fire flickered behind her eyelids, burned her throat and suffocated her lungs, but beyond all that, and beyond the unintelligible hollering that howled in her ears, if she closed her eyes for just an instant, she could imagine herself as something that didn't seem very real.

She imagined herself as happy.

" _I can stop running."_

Hikari opened her eyes and finally, was able to look directly at her father, who gazed at her expectantly. He still kept that smile on his face. Yes, he wouldn't look quite right without one.

"... Okay," she said after a few more moments. "I'll go to your school. F-For you."

He pulled her in for a hug and she rested her head against his chest.

"Don't do this for me, Hikari. Do this for _you_ ," he murmured. She closed her eyes again.

" _I'm sorry, dad,"_ she thought. " _But I'm not ready to be that selfish yet."  
_

* * *

"Look at me now," Hikari said with a sigh weaved between her words. She stood in a mirror examining herself. Hikari was a relatively short girl, being five foot two, with peach skin. Her choppy black hair reached her jaw, with her bangs coming over her forehead and eyebrows, stopping directly above her crystal blue eyes. A beauty mark situated by her left eye remained mostly hidden by a pair of circular glasses sitting on her nose. She wore an oversized black sweater, with the sleeves reaching just shy of her fingertips, over a white tee shirt, dark blue jeans that reached the middle of her calf, and white trainers.

She squinted in the mirror and slipped off her glasses. She examined herself and traced her thumb over her round cheeks before placing them back on and sliding them up. Hearing a huff, Hikari turned and saw a large dog lying on her bed, using its paw to rub its orange snout.

"Houndoom," she called, the pokémon immediately snapping its head up. "You think we'll be okay? A whole new school… dad is the principal, though. So it can't be so bad, right?"

Houndoom nodded and watched as Hikari joined it on the bed, sitting beside it. As soon as she sat, it rested its head in her lap and closed its eyes in contentment. Hikari smiled slightly and rubbed it between its horns.

"Maybe we'll be okay," she muttered. "Maybe we can just relax for now. Maybe... this won't be so bad."

Houndoom let out a small yip in response. Smiling again, Hikari turned to look out her window, able to see a massive white structure that rose into the sky, towering high above all over buildings. She could see the canals that twisted through the streets, and the wide roads that connected parts of the city. Colorful roofs blanketed the entire city, expanding for what seemed like forever, but in the far off distance, the shadows of mountains could be seen.

This feeling of melancholy that suddenly befell Hikari prompted her to think of the man she called her father, the smile he always seemed to carry, and the way he looked after her as if she were a fragile doll that could break with just the wrong look. She felt like she was a little girl again.

" _My name is Kenji Sato,"_ his voice echoed in her head, the memory of him reaching out to her replaying in her head. " _What's yours?"_

" _I-I dunno,"_ she responded, her voice smaller, quieter, weaker.

" _What? You don't have one? Well… how about I give you one?"_

" _A name?"_

" _Yeah. What do you like?"_

" _I dunno."_

Kenji laughed.

" _Your eyes are beautiful,"_ he said. " _They're so bright, like stars. How do you like the name…"_

He paused.

" _Hikari?"_

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

Well, here it is, my first Pokémon story. I had this idea for a while and I really wanted to do something with it, so I'm happy to have created this. Now, this will be a SYOC story. As a result, if you wish to submit a character, please look at my profile, and please do not submit through review. I'm _only_ accepting OC's through PM. If you wish to create an OC to be used in this story, then there's a form to fill out on my profile, and once again, _please_ submit through **PM only**.

Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it. I'll see you later.


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